Second man arrested in robbery tied to fatal shooting

EVERETT — A second man has been arrested in connection with a confrontation that led to a fatal Oct. 8 shooting in Everett.

Jason P. Roberts, 49, was booked into the Snohomish County Jail Thursday for investigation of first-degree robbery.

Police said that Roberts and Robert James Scott Jr. went to an Everett hotel room that night to meet with Heath E. Mitchell, 37. Once inside, they allegedly robbed him of drugs and a handgun, court papers said.

Scott, 39, was shot and died a short time later in front of a restaurant in the 8400 block of Evergreen Way.

Mitchell remains jailed on $200,000 bail. He’s being held for investigation of drug possession and being a felon in possession of a firearm. No charges have been filed in connection with the shooting.

“The case is still under investigation,” Everett police officer Aaron Snell said Friday. “They are still going through the physical evidence and various leads we have received.”

Witnesses in the hotel room told police that Scott and Roberts assaulted Mitchell after he brought out a large quantity of methamphetamine and a handgun for them to inspect.

During the brawl, Scott allegedly took the drugs and handgun.

“At some point, Mitchell was able to get control of a handgun and shoot Scott either during or just following the struggle,” police wrote.

Mitchell and the witnesses reportedly tried to quickly clean the motel room and fled the scene.

Police found a black semiautomatic handgun lying near a garbage bin behind the restaurant. They also found a Smith &Wesson revolver in a backpack they say Mitchell had been carrying.

Police reportedly found Mitchell carrying meth when he was arrested. They also say they found heroin, pills and packaging materials in the motel room. He has multiple convictions for drugs, property crimes and weapons violations.

Police believe Roberts, Scott and a getaway driver planned the robbery. Scott also had a criminal history. He was released from prison in August after serving time for shooting a man during a 2010 attempt to collect a drug debt.